Seeing the Unseen: How Vision Impairment Shapes Child Behavior and Development My dad signed me up for just about every sport camp imaginable: basketball, tennis, soccer, and tee ball. He had three girls and no boys. My older sister liked dance and music, and I was his second chance at being By Rachel Williams, CEO of Oahe Family YMCA struggle with coordination, balance, or handwriting. These struggles can lead to frustration and avoidance behaviors, manifesting as resistance to tasks like sports, drawing, or classroom activities. Over time, this can influence how they perceive their own capabilities. A child struggling to see the whiteboard or read small print may fall behind, leading to lowered self-esteem and disengagement. Social a parent coach. I liked tee ball. I was good at development also takes a hit-Because we all that one, that is, until I turned seven and tee ball became softball. I could not hit the ball. Ever. It was a frustrating summer for everyone. I wanted to please my dad, but try as I might, I just wasn't good at sports. It wasn't until school started that year that my teacher realized I just needed glasses! According to the CDC one in every fifteen kids has diagnosable eye or vision issues, and not all of them have parents with glasses. Is your child seeing as well as (s)he could? Children rarely complain about poor vision. Instead, they adapt, which can mask the issue from parents and teachers. Symptoms like squinting, excessive eye rubbing, avoiding reading, or seeming distracted in class may be misread as defiance, lack of focus, or even developmental delays and disorders. Children with poor depth perception might rely on visual cues to process emotions and social situations, impaired sight can lead to frustration, withdrawal, or acting out especially in structured environments like school, Y Camp, or Kid Stop. Visual impairment can hinder nonverbal communication, such as recognizing facial expressions or body language, which are key to building peer relationships. The result: behavioral issues rooted not in defiance, but in disconnection and difficulty all because the child is straining to see but doesn't know it. Have You Had Your Child's Vision Checked Lately? Kids' eyes grow and change as much as they do, so periodic vision checks are crucial throughout development. Even if they passed their last screening, they should get rechecked at least every two years. If your kids are covered on the State's health plan, an annual vision screening is included in your preventive care coverage, with no cost to you on all four plans! For babies, the InfantSEE program provides a free exam for all children before the age of one, to help identify vision problems before they impact development. Yesterday, we invited the Lyon's club KIDSIGHT South Dakota vision screening program to screen the children in our camp and early learning program. The vision screening machine used takes a photo of the child's eyes and within seconds can identify kids who may need to see an eye doctor for further examination or treatment. The Lyon's club came to Healthy Kid's Day at the Y last April and identified a handful of kids who needed to follow up with an eye doctor. One thankful mom told us she had no idea her eighteen-month-old son needed glasses. She can't imagine how long he would have continued to have vision issues had she not been at Healthy Kids Day! The Clearer Picture Behavior is more than meets the eye-literally. When children struggle to process their environment visually, it shapes how they interact, learn, and behave. By sharpening our focus on vision, we illuminate pathways to healthier development and a better quality of life. And hey, maybe they'll be better at softball too! Seeing the Unseen : How Vision Impairment Shapes Child Behavior and Development My dad signed me up for just about every sport camp imaginable : basketball , tennis , soccer , and tee ball . He had three girls and no boys . My older sister liked dance and music , and I was his second chance at being By Rachel Williams , CEO of Oahe Family YMCA struggle with coordination , balance , or handwriting . These struggles can lead to frustration and avoidance behaviors , manifesting as resistance to tasks like sports , drawing , or classroom activities . Over time , this can influence how they perceive their own capabilities . A child struggling to see the whiteboard or read small print may fall behind , leading to lowered self - esteem and disengagement . Social a parent coach . I liked tee ball . I was good at development also takes a hit - Because we all that one , that is , until I turned seven and tee ball became softball . I could not hit the ball . Ever . It was a frustrating summer for everyone . I wanted to please my dad , but try as I might , I just wasn't good at sports . It wasn't until school started that year that my teacher realized I just needed glasses ! According to the CDC one in every fifteen kids has diagnosable eye or vision issues , and not all of them have parents with glasses . Is your child seeing as well as ( s ) he could ? Children rarely complain about poor vision . Instead , they adapt , which can mask the issue from parents and teachers . Symptoms like squinting , excessive eye rubbing , avoiding reading , or seeming distracted in class may be misread as defiance , lack of focus , or even developmental delays and disorders . Children with poor depth perception might rely on visual cues to process emotions and social situations , impaired sight can lead to frustration , withdrawal , or acting out especially in structured environments like school , Y Camp , or Kid Stop . Visual impairment can hinder nonverbal communication , such as recognizing facial expressions or body language , which are key to building peer relationships . The result : behavioral issues rooted not in defiance , but in disconnection and difficulty all because the child is straining to see but doesn't know it . Have You Had Your Child's Vision Checked Lately ? Kids ' eyes grow and change as much as they do , so periodic vision checks are crucial throughout development . Even if they passed their last screening , they should get rechecked at least every two years . If your kids are covered on the State's health plan , an annual vision screening is included in your preventive care coverage , with no cost to you on all four plans ! For babies , the InfantSEE program provides a free exam for all children before the age of one , to help identify vision problems before they impact development . Yesterday , we invited the Lyon's club KIDSIGHT South Dakota vision screening program to screen the children in our camp and early learning program . The vision screening machine used takes a photo of the child's eyes and within seconds can identify kids who may need to see an eye doctor for further examination or treatment . The Lyon's club came to Healthy Kid's Day at the Y last April and identified a handful of kids who needed to follow up with an eye doctor . One thankful mom told us she had no idea her eighteen - month - old son needed glasses . She can't imagine how long he would have continued to have vision issues had she not been at Healthy Kids Day ! The Clearer Picture Behavior is more than meets the eye - literally . When children struggle to process their environment visually , it shapes how they interact , learn , and behave . By sharpening our focus on vision , we illuminate pathways to healthier development and a better quality of life . And hey , maybe they'll be better at softball too !